Qatar and Al Jazeera America

Joie Chen, host of the new Al Jazeera America nightly news program Tonight, sits at the anchor desk in the network’s studio space at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. on August 16. (Saul Loeb, AFP/Getty Images)

Congratulations to all the new journalists and news executives hired by Al Jazeera America with funding from Qatar. Don’t worry about those pesky reports from organizations like Human Rights Watch stating, “Qatar adjudicates family law and personal status matters in religious courts in which judges base rulings on their interpretations of Islamic law. … Family law as generally interpreted discriminates against women in matters of divorce, inheritance, and child custody … .” As Al Jazeera Denver correspondent Paul Beban said in your article, “no news organization is perfect.”

Sue Weinroth, Sedalia

This letter was published in the Aug. 21 edition.

For information on how to send a letter to the editor, click here. Follow eLetters on Twitter to receive updates about new letters to the editor when they’re posted.

“The goal is not to mimic CNN, MSNBC and Fox News (which reach 100 million households), but to offer more news and fewer shouting matches.”

Thank freaking FSM for that.

Reality Check

I know as a liberal it burns your butt. However what you meant to say is FOX reaches 90 million households, CNN reaches 8 million households and MSNBC reaches 2 million! MSNBC still doesn’t realize that non stop liberal opinion is not news. Like it or not people aren’t stupid, other than Hannity (which I’m not a major fan of) FOX does give opposing views…ratings don’t lie!

peterpi

Proof for Fox and CNN?

Tbone

I could care less, I don’t watch any of that crap. I’m sure, though, that your numbers are hilariously wrong. Seriously, common sense goes a long way.

And if you think you’re cool because your preferred cable news network is number one111!!!!!, that’s just sad. Just sad.

You are correct. The winning margin came from those people who watch John Stewart for their news.

tomfromthenews

And thank goodness for them (us)!

Tbone

You mean the people who are the most informed?

peterpi

Another “Obama voters are dumb” theorist.

guest

I didn’t say that. I said the winning margin came from low information voters. That is what Obama’s campaign was bragging about after the election.

Rob

Actually what it does show is that many many people in the US consider Fox a credible news source. Even those who are Democratic and/or voted for Obama.

Dano2

many many people in the US consider Fox a credible news source

And we get closer to an idiocracy the more people consider Faux a credible news source. Not something to highlight or celebrate.

Best,

D

Tbone

Idiocracy! I loved that documentary.

Tbone

Incorrect. Only those inside the bubble, suffering from epistemic closure, consider Bill O’reilley’s rants as credible.

Again, we’ll point to the fact that faux news viewers are the least informed of any major cable network.

guest

But if you look at the results of the poll, Republicans were more informed than were the Democrats. You couldn’t tell who were the Fox News respondents and who weren’t, but they did give you the results based upon Democrats vs Republicans.

Tbone

No, they weren’t. In fact, people who watch faux news knew less than people who watch NO NEWS.

guest

Yes they were. Check out the breakdown of the numbers. What they gave were the number for people who only watched Fox or MSNBC or PBS. But they also broke down the number of Democrats, lean democrat, independents, lean Republican, and Republicans who got none right, 1 right up to 8 right. There were 199 Democrats or lean Democrat and 193 Republican or lean Republicans. The 193 Republicans got 3 more correct answers than did the 199 Democrats.

They never gave the breakdown of how many in each category watch only one news source. I’m thinking the number had to be pretty small.

Dano2

Faux “News” viewers are also the worst-informed. So what’s your point?

Zap2It says that CNN reaches 99,727,000 households as of July 2012. 95,526,000 for MSNBC, and 97,981,000 for Fox News.

They have this note on the page:

“To clarify after some questions, these are the number of households that actually receive each network, not the number that are simply eligible to receive them.”

peterpi

That’s a useful clarification.

Dano2

Actually, Al Jazeera covers a wider variety of news, and more in-depth, than the Merkin corporate media. But I’m sure Arab-funded Faux “News” “forgot” to tell the faithful that as Faux were getting the faithful all foamed up.

Best,

D

peterpi

Let’s see, most American states ban gay marriage, some businesses in the Rust Belt will refuse you service if your car is a Japanese model, a leading conservative radio talk show host spent three days not too long ago calling a woman a “s$l&u#t (minus the special characters)”, teens in Oklahoma recently shot and left to die a foreign student allegedly for the thrill of it. Does that mean that if CNN or Fox gains entry to the Japanese or Australian cable market, they should be boycotted by the locals?
There are several Arab governments that try to jam or ban Al Jazeera because the citizens of those countries get better news, and more information about their own country, than the government wants them to hear.

Dano2

Also, there are millions of people who – IN OUR LIFETIMES – lived in a country where……… they couldn’t drink from the same drinking…………. fountains as whites, couldn’t eat with whites, couldn’t consume a house in……… a white neighborhood …etc.

We have a political party that longs for……………………………………………………………………………… those times and Al Jazeera reports on it while the Merkin corporate media looks the other way. No wonder Faux hates it……………………. and spreads FUD and their faithful dutifully spread it…

Best,

D

Reality Check

And another liberal throws the race card…and liberals wonder why they aren’t taken serious!

peterpi

I guess he didn’t like my attempt at a parallel.

Rob

Your parallel is valid since those examples are current. Dano’s parallel is not since he had to go back 50 years.

Dano2

You’re right – there’s no evidence of racism in Merka today, even though those events I named occurred in our lifetimes. All gone. Nothing to see here, move along.

So you don’t like it that there are many parallels in Murrica with Ay-rab countries. Get over it. We’re not ‘cepshinull

Best,

D

Dano2

I furthered your “attempt”. I guess that means I didn’t like it because I agreed with it and added to it.

Best,

D

Dano2

If you are feeling guilty because of something and need to falsely accuse me of playing the race card, thanks for your predictable knee-jerk to demonize The Other.

Best,

D

guest

So you consider yourself “The Other?” Actually that is probably a pretty good description of you. BTW, the only false accusations occur when you are the poster.

reinhold23

“BTW, the only false accusations occur when you are the poster.”

Translation: “I know you are but what am I.”

guest

You need to reread what I wrote.

reinhold23

Not my fault you can’t see the childishness of your post.

guest

No, not when DTJ make the same old false accusations over and over and thinks he is making a point and is clever in doing it.

tomfromthenews

Reality check: it should be “seriousLY”. (Verbs are modified by adverbs, not adjectives.)

guest

It was the Democratic Party that set up a system where drinking fountains, food service, buses, etc. were all segregated. It was a Democratic President who resegregated the Military and civil service (Wilson), and it was an Democratic President who said:

“I’ll have those ni**ers voting Democratic for the next 200 years.” —Lyndon B. Johnson to two governors on Air Force One – and

“These Negroes, they’re getting pretty uppity these days and
that’s a problem for us since they’ve got something now they never had
before, the political pull to back up their uppityness. Now we’ve got to
do something about this, we’ve got to give them a little something,
just enough to quiet them down, not enough to make a difference.”—LBJ

But evidently you don’t know that and instead pretend that a different party “longs for those times” again.

Dano2

Thanks for gullibly parroting the standard story.

Where did the Dixiecrats go after LBJ passed the Civil Rights Act?

That’s right! The GOP. Your faithful parroting of the story is oh-so-cute and predictable.

Best,

D

JohnDoe

A smart person would ask why LBJ, after years of voting down civil rights legislation and in light of his comments, suddenly became a champion of the civil rights movement. Like I said, a smart person…but notice how Dano just completely ignores that.

Just keep playing that race card Dano. Its a great way to whip up fear against that evil, racist redneck army and their guns. Of course you already know that. Predictable? You, toohip’s and Tbone’s liberal, banal talking points are as predictable as a sun rise.

Dano2

Smart and sane people all know wingers and GoOPers are trying to blame all democrats on the delay of civil rights legislation.

Here in reality, we know that it was the Dixiecrats the wingers are falsely and mendaciously trying to conflate with all democrats. Only the addled and cheap partisans still believe the Dixiecrats were all democrats.

And here on earth, the Dixiecrats went over to the GOP. You are stuck with them now.

Reality: don’t take it personally!

Best,

D

guest

You probably forgot about Eisenhower’s CRA of 1957. LBJ insured it was greatly weakened from what Ike asked for.

And we know YOU don’t take reality personally.

Dano2

No matter how fast your tiny hands flap, there is no dissembling away from the fact that the GoOPers and the t-b@ggers are not the party of lovin’ on the brown.

How many times are you going to use the Lindsey Graham quote? You are like a five year old constant repeating yourself. The rest of your comment is just stupid. The right shows minorities a lot more respect than does the left. We don’t engage in the racism of low expectations where you folks don’t seem to be able to help yourselves.

Tbone

Oh really? Trying to stop minorities from voting shows them respect?

guest

No, assuming minorities can’t get a photo ID is showing them no respect.

Tbone

Ummm….stopping them from getting an ID, like they do in states like Wisconsin, is showing them respect?

Seriously bro, those clown shoes are looking awfully big on you.

guest

What in the world are you talking about?

Tbone

Your clown shoes.

Seriously though, waiting on that list of bills from Democrats designed to reduce minority voting.

guest

You really don’t know anything do you?

Actually the CRA passed in 1964. The total number of Democrats who switched to the Republican Party from 1964 to 1969 was 13 and 2 of those were from northern or western states. In the 1970s another 23 switched (4 of which were not from Southern states). In fact almost all the Dixiecrats stayed with the Democratic Party and the Democratic Party held on to the state legislatures through the rest of the 1960s and the 1970. It wasn’t until the 1990s that the Republicans began to gain enough seats in the South to gain control of state legislatures.

“The majority of SLC states remained under Democratic control, even in the second half of the 1990s. Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West Virginia experienced either little change in party distribution or a consolidation of Democratic control of their legislatures during this period.”

The racist reprobates in the Democratic Party stayed with the Democratic Party.

peterpi

Or,
We can admit that there’s fair-minded people and prejudicial people in both parties,
But that would weaken your blind partisanship.

guest

Don’t you think you should first tell that to DTJ? He’s the one that made the accusation and I was simply pointing out the falsity of what he said. You’d have a lot more credibility in your comment if you did.

Tbone

You’re going to have to point out to all of us the actions that the Democratic party is taking to eliminate or minimize the voting rights of minorities.

JohnDoe

The only people trying to “minimize the voting rights of minorities” are Democrats. By constantly repeating the lie about voter suppression and demonizing any minority that votes for anyone that isn’t a Democrat and making them dependent upon Democrat politicians for hand outs and entitlements. In this day and age, I can’t even begin to fathom how anyone could support, join or identify with liberals and Democratic party and call themselves a human being. Your ideology and beliefs are perhaps the most dehumanizing, arrogant and in many cases, flat out racist tripe all while wrapped in sheeps clothing this world has ever seen.

DR

Yikes! I think JohnDoe needs a snickers bar!

Pilgrim

I’d say a whole bag of them.

Tbone

Oh really?

So it’s the Democratic party trying to make it harder for minorities to vote.

So I’m looking for a good shoe guy – you obviously know a good one, with those big shiny clown shoes of yours.

guest

Any minority in the military is being held back by Democrats who try to disenfranchise their vote.

Tbone

No, they’re not. You’ll have to point out the bills that Democrats are passing to restrict military voting.

guest

I already did that.

Tbone

So list the bills that Democrats have passed to restrict minority voting rights.

DR

I agree. To think that every Republican is an overt racist is just as ignorant as believing every Democrat would be thrilled to have black neighbors living next door.

Robtf777

“Congratulations to all the new journalists and news executives hired by Al Jazeera America with funding from Qatar.

Don’t worry about those pesky reports from organizations like Human
Rights Watch stating, “Qatar adjudicates family law and personal status
matters in religious courts in which judges base rulings on their
interpretations of Islamic law. … Family law as generally interpreted
discriminates against women in matters of divorce, inheritance, and
child custody … .” As Al Jazeera Denver correspondent Paul Beban said in
your article, “no news organization is perfect.””
===============
There are two things “we” – “someone” – can do:

(1) We can shun Al Jazeera……ignore them…..hope they go away……pretend they don’t exist……have no contact, interaction, or engagement with them……and not try to influence them with our contact, interaction, and engagement……..because maybe they will go away……all by themselves…..with no outside influence.

(2) We can…….at least…..try…..make an attempt…..to work with them……to see if being “a part of them and their lives and their news/opinions”……may – may – influence them enough to at least see another side……even if that other side is rejected.

#1 is the way…….narrow-minded……short-sighted……ostriches/people…….who bury their heads in the sand……may think. They see something “bad” and they make no attempt to…….have coffee with them……to sit and chat with them…..to have dinner with them……to work with them…….because they are SO AFRAID that they may be “corrupted” by “them” that they miss any opportunity to have a positive influence on them in a good way.

#2 is the way…….Jesus operated.

Jesus rejected #1 and worked through #2…….when he ate with sinners…..called a despised tax collector to be one of the 12……healed leapers……and basically socialized with, taught, interacted with, chastised, encouraged, healed, rebuked…..anyone and everyone as needed…..and told people about the Kingdom of God…….in an attempt to “change lives,” get those who would listen to repent of their sins, focus on God and His Eternal Kingdom instead of on the sinful lusts and desires they were currently doing…….with both great success (those who listened and followed Him) and “failure” (the Pharisees and others who cried out “CRUCIFY HIM.”)

Those who are now part of the Al Jazeera “team”……the same “team” that broadcast beheading of numerous people “live”…….can either (a) become as disgusting, corrupt, bigoted, prejudiced, obscene, and worse as Al Jazeera may have a “reputation” for being….or…..(b) begin to influence Al Jazeera in positive ways if – IF – the goal of Al Jazeera is to be seen as a credible and legitimate GLOBAL alternative to CNN, Fox, BBC, and MSNBC……instead of as a TV version of the worst newsstand tabloid in existence.

Of course…..Jesus and His Disciples had an obvious advantage when it came to “influencing people”: The Power of God.

Those news people who join the Al Jazeera team……whether to get a nice paycheck or for pro-American, pro-democracy, pro-human rights ideologies……may not have that “advantage”…..and probably don’t have that advantage…….and may end end being the 21st century version of Hanoi Jane……and end up spouting out the self-serving propaganda and mind-boggling lies…..from those who sign their paychecks.

But if – IF – Al Jazeera is trying to expand its reach, its market, and its world of influence beyond the confines of the Middle East…….and TO those places in the world…..like the US and Europe……where 90% of the population can READ……and where access to other news sources and the “truth” is more readily available…….then the ONLY way Al Jazeera will NOT go the same way Air America did…….is if they have an incredibly wealthy “sugar daddy” who doesn’t mind blowing billions of dollars…..or…..if they don’t make the same mistakes.

If Al Jazeera wants the US market……then it will only get the US market on our terms…..which is how interaction, contact, and engagement……diplomacy……may – may – work out better in the long run than……wanting nothing to do with them.

The Pharisees wanted nothing to do with sinners, tax collectors, leapers……except to tell them how worthless they were.

Jesus had a better idea. He offered them……hope…..forgiveness…..and Eternal Life. Jesus did NOT DENY their sins; He just did NOT “beat an already dead horse” (because that is what they were: Spiritually DEAD)…..but instead offered them……hope…..forgiveness……and Eternal Life.

#2 worked better in the long run. Always has. Always will.

DR

“#1 is the way…….narrow-minded……short-sighted……ostriches/people…….who bury their heads in the sand……may think. They see something “bad” and they make no attempt to…….have coffee with them……to sit and chat with them…..to have dinner with them……to work with them…….because they are SO AFRAID that they may be “corrupted” by “them” that they miss any opportunity to have a positive influence on them in a good way.”

———-

You mean like people who want to ban gay marriage? Or show up in droves to support a restaurant that openly opposes gay marriage (which is basically a “nicer” way of saying “we hate gay people”.) It would have been cool to see Chic-Fil-A inviting gay people and Christians to their restaurant for one day of free chicken sandwiches and “to sit and chat with them”…”to have dinner with them”…”to work with them”

Oh but wait…thats not the Christian way is it? My bad!

ktrav

This is just another nonsense-filled racist letter fueled by the fear and misinformation spewed from right-wing hate radio. This is the kind of fear-mongering that leads so many of the racists, fearful, misinformed and simply ignorant people in this country toward electing the same kind of intellectually challenged racists to office.

The writer might be interested to know that the second largest voting shareholder in Fox News is Prince al-Aleed bin Talal, a Muslim from Abu Dhabi. Chew on that, Sue.

Tbone

Faux News! Not Racist, But #1 With Racists!

Dano2

I agreed with every word up until The writer might be interested to know . I doubt the writer is interested to know things that do not comport with their worldview and self-identity. Cognitive dissonance and all that.

Best,

D

guest

Projection still works I see.

MM2

Well, there’s always the exemplary USA (from Human Rights Watch): The enormous US prison population, the world’s largest, partly reflects
harsh sentencing practices contrary to international law, such as
disproportionately long prison terms and mandatory sentencing without
parole. Those behind bars include a growing number of elderly people,
whom prisons are ill-equipped to handle, and youth under age 18 held in
adult prisons. Unauthorized immigrants and their families in the United
States are vulnerable to abuses stemming from an outdated, ineffective
immigration system that deprives them of basic rights, and increasing
numbers are held in detention facilities. A number of abusive
counterterrorism policies have continued under President Barack Obama,
including detentions without charge at Guantanamo Bay.

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